Display package and blank for making same



Nov. 3, 1964 5. J. LEONE DISPLAY PACKAGE AND BLANK FOR MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. SALVATORE J. LEONE BYwy/ wm 0074/ AT TORNEYS Nov. 3, 1964 s. J. LEONE 3,155,232

DISPLAY PACKAGE AND BLANK FOR MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 27, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. SALVATORE J. LEONE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,155,232 DISZLAY PACKAGE AND BLANK FOR MAKING SAME Salvatore J. Leone, Waliingford, Conn, assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn, a corporation of Qonnectient Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 219,520 4 Claims. (1. 2t)645.14)

The present invention generally relates to display packages for small articles and more specifically to a novel and improved display package of the card type and having particular advantage for use with coilable rules and the like. The invention also includes a novel and improved blank for forming the display package.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved display package that will securely retain an article while at the same time permitting the article to be clearly displayed and providing abundant and noticeable area on which they may be printed identification data relating to the article. Included in this object is the provision of such a display package that facilitates the insertion and removal of the article and wherein the article is automatically secured in place merely upon insertion into the package.

A more specific object is to provide such a package which is particularly adapted for use with coilable rules and similar articles having extensible parts and which permit the extensible parts to be pulled out or retracted by the customer or salesman for demonstration purposes without removing the article from the package. Included in this aim is the provision of such a package wherein the extensible part such as the blade of the coilable rule may be retained in a partially extended position to enhance the display value and to invite the customer to test the operation of the device. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved blank for such a display package that can be quickly and easily formed into the display package in a one-step manipulation and which requires no means to maintain the display package erected other than the displayed article itself.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a blank for such a display package that is extremely economical to manufacture and that will provide a display package of enhanced appearance and relatively sturdy and compact construction.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display package embodying the present invention and shown in combination with a commercial form of a coilable rule secured therein and disposed in the normal display position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the display package;

FIG. 3

age;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a blank for forming the display package; and

FlG. 5 is a side view of the blank.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a display package generally designated 2, embodying the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 as displaying a coilable rule 4. As explained more fully hereinafter, the display package may be conveniently formed from a single sheet of flat stock material such as conventional paperboard or plastic or is an enlarged side view of the display pack- 5,l55,232 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 the like. The base of the package comprises a generally rectangular panel 6 having an upper portion 8 for exhibiting article identification data and which may be provided with a slot 10 for hanging the package, if desired, and a lower portion preferably formed of a double-wall construction which includes a front wall and a rear wall 11. Projecting generally perpendicularly forwardly from the base panel 6 at the lower end thereof is a ledge or shelf 12 adapted to form a bottom support for the displayed article as clearly shown in FIG. 1.

A. central connecting web 14 is provided between an intermediate portion of the base panel 6 and the front edge '7 of the ledge 12 which includes a top portion 16 projecting generally perpendicularly forwardly from the base panel 6 and a front wall portion 18 extending generally perpendicularly upwardly from the front edge of the ledge 12 and generally parallel to the base panel. As shown in the drawing, the web 14 together with the base panel 6 forms a generally rectangular open-ended enclosure for the article to be displayed, the depth and height being preferably dimensioned so as to readily accommodate the displayed article but without excessive looseness. By this dimensioning, the article displayed under the web 14 will not only be snugly received therein but additionally the displayed article will serve to positively support the web 14 in its intended article-receiving position against movement towards the base panel whereby vertical collapse of the web 14 and the ledge 12 will be precluded and the structural stability of the package will be maintained. If desired, the front panel 18 of the web 14 may be contoured in a manner like that of the article displayed so as to enhance the appearance and also provide additional advertising space.

In accordance with the invention, the front wall 9 of the package is formed with a pair of side webs 24, 26 on opposite sides of the central web 14. The side webs 24, 26 are bowed outwardly from the plane of the base panel 6 to assume an arcuate profile and to pro vide a pair of flexible and resilient abutments. The inner side edges 25, 27 of the abutments 24 and 26 are dimensioned to engage the side edges of the displayed article to thereby retain the article in its seated position beneath the web 14. Insertion and removal of the article is simply effected by depressing either of the abutments 24, 2s toward the base panel so as to clear the article from the abutment edge 25 or 27 to thereby permit lateral insertion or withdrawal of the article. The resiliency of the sheet material together with its bowed configuration on the front wall assures that the abutments 24, 26 will return to their normal retaining position'even after repeated insertion and withdrawal of the article.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, it will be seen that the package of the present invention is extremely well suited for the display of articles having extensible parts as illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the blade 30 of the rule 4 is partially extended along the ledge 12 of the package and may be held thereon by the engagement of the end book 32 of the blade with the edge 34 of the ledge 12. In this position, the blade 30 is substantially protected by the ledge 12 and is displayed for convenient inspection as well' as testing without disturbing the display of the rule in the package or requiring the removal of the rule therefrom.

A blank for forming the above-described package and constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 4. and 5 as comprising a generally rectangular sheet ofresilient and flexible material of the type described above, which sheet has been folded on itself along fold edge 7 (the edge of the ledge 12) to provide the front wall 9 and the rear wall 11. The rear wall 11 which in the shown embodiment is slightly less in width than the front wall 9 is fixed to the front wall 9 at the area designated by numeral 36 as by bonding or the like.

Referring to FIG. 4, the front wall 9 is cut in the longitudinal direction of the blank between the area of fixation 36 and the fold edge 7 to thereby provide the connecting web 14 of the package. The particular shape and size of the web 1 3 may be varied depending upon the shape, size or weight of the article to be displayed. However, the top portion 16 of the web 14 is preferably formed of a reduced Width to facilitate bending in the formation of the package as well as to enhance the exposure of the article to be displayed. The front wall 9 is out along opposite sides of the central web 14 to provide the abutment-forming side webs 24, 26, the edges 25, 27 thereof being spaced to receive the displayed article therebetween and preferably being contoured as shown to extend about the side edges of the article in close relationship thereto.

In accordance with the invention, the blank is adapted to be transversely folded along lines extending parallel to the fold edge 7 and spaced therefrom a distance generally equal to the depth of the ledge 12 to form the package. In order to facilitate such folding, the front wall Q is segmentally scored or creased at line 60 located on opposite sides of the web 14 while the rear wall 11 is scored throughout its width dimension at line 62. but preferably spaced or offset from the score line 60 in a direction away from the foid edge 7. To further facilitate formation of the package, the front wall 9 is additionally scored or creased at line 64 extending across its width at the lower limit of the area of fixation 36, while the web 14 is scored at line as which is spaced from the score line 64 to define the outer edge of the top portion 16 of the web.

Formation of the package from the blank is simply accomplished by merely folding the front and rear walls 9, 11 together along their respective score lines 60, 62 and generally ninety degrees in the direction of the front wall 9. It will be apparent from the foregoing that this folding will cause the area between the score lines 60, 62 and the fold edge 7 to provide the ledge 12 of the package and will cause the web 14 to bend at score lines 64, 66 to assume an inverted L-shaped cross section whereby the open-ended enclosure of the package will be formed for receiving the article to be displayed. Additionally, this folding of the front and rear walls 9, 11 about their scored lines 60, 62 will also cause the side webs 24, 26 of the front wall to bow outwardly into the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 thereby providing the arcuate resilient abutments 24, 26 of the package which retain the article to be displayed against lateral movement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in addition to the other advantages the present invention provides a blank that may be manufactured at extreme low cost and with a sightly appearance while at the same time being adaptable to form a novel'and improved display package in a one-step manipulation that may be conveniently and rapidly effected by use of the fingers.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A display package for coilable rules and like articles comprising a front wall and a back wall of sheet material secured together at two longitudinally spaced positions, the front wall having two transversely spaced portions which are severed longitudinally to provide a central connecting web and side webs on opposite sides of the central web, said back wall and side webs being provided with a fold line spaced from one end and being foldable to provide a shelf to space the central web from the back wall of the package to form an open-ended enclosure for receiving an article to be displayed, said side webs being free from said back wall and being so constructed and arranged to be bowed outwardly from the back wall to form abutments for retaining the article received in said enclosure against lateral movement when folded to provide the shelf.

2. In combination with an article of the coilable ruletype, a card display package comprising a card folded upon itself along a fold line to provide overlying front and rear walls, an end portion of said overlying walls being folded at right angles to provide a ledge supporting the article for display, said front wall being secured to the rear wall along a portion spaced from the ledge and being severed longitudinally to provide a central connecting web and two side webs, said connecting web being folded outwardly from the base panel to form an open-ended enclosure therewith receiving the article for display in seated position on the ledge, the article being dimensioned so that it engages between the rear wall and connecting web and supports the connecting web against collapsing movement toward the rear wall, said side webs being bowed outwardly and extending along opposite sides of the article displayed to retain it in engagement with the rear wall, said side webs being yield able to permit the removal of the article from the enclosure.

3. A blank for forming a display package comprising a card folded on itself along a fold edge to provide front and rear walls positioned in overlying and substantially contacting relationship with each other, said walls being fixed together along an area spaced from the fold edge, said front wall being apertured to provide a central web and side webs extending from the fold edge to the area at which the walls are fixed together, the front wall having a score line extending transversely of the card and bordering the area at which the walls are fixed together, the central web having a score line extending across a top portion thereof, the side webs having a score line extending transversely of the blank and being parallel and spaced from the fold edge, the rear wall having a score line extending transversely across the card and being closely spaced from the score lines of the side webs such that folding of the walls along the closely spaced score lines will cause the portion of the card between the fold edge and the closely spaced score lines to form a ledge for supporting an article to be displayed, the central web to bend about opposite ends of the top portion thereof to form an open-ended enclosure for receiving an article to be displayed, and the side webs to bow outwardly to form resilient abutments for retaining an article to be displayed in the enclosure against lateral movement.

4. A blank for forming a display package comprising a front wall and a back wall of sheet material fixed together at two longitudinally spaced positions, said front wall having two transversely spaced portions which are severed longitudinally to provide a central web and two side webs on opposite sides of the central web, the back wall and the side webs having fold lines extending laterally thereof and spaced from one end thereof, said fold lines on the side webs and the back Wall being positioned at substantially equal distances from said one end of the back wall, the end portions of. the side webs and the back wall being foldable along the fold lines to space the central web from the back wall to provide an openended enclosure for receiving an article to be displayed to form abutments for retaining the article to be displayed against lateral movement.

Lacy Nov. 29, 1960 

1. A DISPLAY PACKAGE FOR COILABLE RULES AND LIKE ARTICLES COMPRISING A FRONT WALL AND A BACK WALL OF SHEET MATERIAL SECURED TOGETHER AT TWO LONGITUDINALLY SPACED POSITIONS, THE FRONT WALL HAVING TWO TRANSVERSELY SPACED PORTIONS WHICH ARE SEVERED LONGITUDINALLY TO PROVIDE A CENTRAL CONNECTING WEB AND SIDE WEBS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CENTRAL WEB, SAID BACK WALL AND SIDE WEBS BEING PROVIDED WITH A FOLD LINE SPACED FROM ONE END AND BEING FOLDABLE TO PROVIDE A SHELF TO SPACE THE CENTRAL WEB FROM THE BACK WALL OF THE PACKAGE TO FORM AN OPEN-ENDED ENCLOSURE FOR RECEIVING AN ARTICLE TO BE DISPLAYED, SAID SIDE WEBS BEING FREE FROM SAID BACK WALL AND BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE BOWED OUTWARDLY FROM THE BACK WALL TO FORM ABUTMENTS FOR RETAINING THE ARTICLE RECEIVED IN SAID ENCLOSURE AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT WHEN FOLDED TO PROVIDE THE SHELF. 